Arsene Wenger is not so happy with how things are going after the World Cup ended. Since most of his player all participated in the German tournament this summer, most of them have had some pretty long vacations. And it's not like they didn't deserve it. Still with plenty of Frenchmen in the first line-up, the gunners' tactician fears that his side will not be ready to face the Champions League qualifiers on full speed.
Two of the most important players for Arsenal - Thierry Henry
and Jens Lehmann - will stay a while away from the field. Since they were the ones to face a pretty late exit from the World Cup - Henry in the final against Italy and Lehmann in the semifinals against the same nation - they will enter practice later than everybody else.
More, with Ashley Cole on his way to Chelsea, Arsene Wenger will really have to work hard to prepare his team for the Champions League qualifiers. After all, entering the most important competition in Europe is far more important than the Premiership. Still, as a paradox, Arsenal will most likely be fully fit before the Premiership start than in the CL qualifiers.
"I think we'll be ready for the start of the Premiership - but for the Champions League qualifier we could be short. Our senior World Cup players - like Thierry Henry and Jens Lehmann - will come back on August 2. We still have a lot of hard work to do", stated Wenger. Considering the fact that the "gunners" will start their European campaign as early as the 8/9th of August, Henry and Lehmann's absence might be worth something for their CL opponents.
It is yet to be known who will be the team to take on last year's Champions League finalists. The competition has now reached the second qualifying round. Teams like Osasuna, Chievo or Fenerbahce seem like the most dangerous for Arsene Wenger's team.
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